Liquid assets
by
Thel KrolligIt’s no secret that Pro Vice Chancellor, Professor Ian Davey loves a good red wine. So it’ll come as no surprise that when he was offered a chance to invest in a vineyard three years ago, the good professor jumped at the chance.
It wasn’t a difficult decision as the proposal from his close friend Malcolm Mackinnon was to buy a shiraz vineyard in McLaren Vale, his favourite grape in his favourite wine region.
The aim was to produce a top quality wine at a reasonable price and Ian’s only proviso was that the partners would receive a generous allocation of each vintage.
“What better way to have access to a good quality red, free, for the rest of your days?” said Ian.
There are six partners in the 21 acre Nine Gums vineyard on Almond Road at Willunga, including Ian’s partner, Pene, Malcolm and Alison Mackinnon and Garry and Nancy Watson.
And for six intelligent, well educated people, according to Ian, it took careful negotiation and diplomacy to come up with a name for the wine label. The group eventually settled on Brick Kiln, a link to the brick kiln bridge that leads to the vineyard.
The first Brick Kiln Shiraz was made from Nine Gum’s second harvest in 2002.
The vineyard has already experienced success with the 2003 vintage. It won a medal at the Melbourne Boutique Wine Show in June where it was the second-highest ranked 2003 shiraz.
Ian says the wine has been well received and is on the menu at Tempo in Hindley St, a favourite haunt, and is also available by the glass at the Art Gallery café.
So how much time does Ian get to spend at the vineyard and does he actually get his hands dirty?
“I’m involved in some of the pruning at the moment, but I am looking forward to a time, in my retirement, when I can really get involved.
“I think everyone has got me pegged in a marketing role, but I have plans to do some more work in the vineyard.”
The Brick Kiln wines are available only through mail order or via the web.
If you are interested in more information you can visit their website on www.brickiln.com.au or email brickiln@senet.com.au